Sober as a judge can refer to impartiality in making a court decision (« sober » is then used metaphorically to designate clarity of mind, as if one were not influenced by drugs or alcohol) Not at all intoxicated, very clearly, as in Even after three drinks, he was sober as a judge. It is not known why judges should be equated with sobriety, but the parable was first recorded in 1694. « And the question of the will was settled today by the probate judge, I mean, » the judge said, his hand on the door. But the timing seems wrong to say that the story of « Philip sober » strongly influenced « sober as a judge » in English idiomatic usage. Meanwhile, almost exactly 30 years after the trial, the judge left home to board a steamboat, and he was never heard from again. Philip`s drunken call to Philip sober. A woman asked King Philip of Macedon [Alexander the Great`s father] for justice for her husband and was refused. « I will appeal this sentence! » she cried, and Philip shouted into his cup, « Call, » and to whom will you appeal? « Philip sober, » replied the woman, and according to Valerius Maximus, who tells the story, she won her case. The link between the saying « sober as a judge » and the proverb « call to Philip sober » is intelligent and attractive (in a sober way), but it would be more plausible if (1) the first case of « sober as judge » did not date from 1682 (as reported by the OP; the first Google Books correspondences date from 1701 and 1702), and (2) the first reference to the story of « sober Philip » in a Google Books search is not from 77 years later, in a letter from David Hume to the editor of The Critical Review in April 1759: The origin seems to come from common sense (a sober judge) and consumption habits (from Lords). « I think it`s important to say it too early to judge success or failure, » Pentagon spokesman Col.

Steven Warren said. According to this saying, one might judge that this vice was peculiar only to the most wicked people. But experience and a saying, now more us, (as drunk as a gentleman) teach us that he has gained a foothold among the nobility. He [Mr Windham] had no doubt that when the present anger had disappeared, he would see the Irish people as eager for the measure [union with the United Kingdom] as they were now against. He therefore wished to appeal to Philip, who was drunk, to the sober Philip; he wanted to appeal to the Irish, who were crazy about independence, that is, regardless of the reason, whatever the arguments, to the Irish, who were in a good mood, to consider the proposal before them. « (like) sober as a judge. » Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/%28as%29%20sober%20as%20a%20judge. Retrieved 30 November 2022. A judge sitting on the bench should certainly be sober. Sober also means seriousness, and a judge in a case is certainly serious, so it could even be the final origin of the sentence. Who in Scalise would care if he supported the designation of a post office for a black judge who died in 1988? Sober as a judge.

In the play Don Quixote in England (1734), one of Henry Fielding`s characters [who is quite drunk and behaves outrageously] says, « I am as sober as a judge. » Perhaps it was simply Fielding`s observation that the judges on the bench are almost always sober, but the expression may have its source in the saying AN APPEAL FROM PHILIP DRUNK TO PHILIP SOBER. Sober is the exact opposite of the Latin word for « in her cups », derived from so, « apart from » and bria, « cup ». By clicking « Post Reply » you agree to our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy, judge or sheriff, everything was one for them, everyone was equally horrible in their eyes. It just means being really drunk. Why « as Lord »? Well, I know very little about English peers, but I guess some of them drank heavily. The expression dates from about 1891 or earlier. As drunk as an owl, as drunk as a sow, as drunk as a beggar, as drunk as the devil, as drunk as a gentleman. These are the most important comparisons of drunkenness, and the explanation is as follows: « A man is as drunk as an owl when he cannot see; he is drunk as a sow when he staggers in the earth; he is drunk as a beggar when he is very insolent; He is as drunk as the devil when he is inclined to do stupid things; And as drunk as a gentleman, if he is all evil.